Christlesterling The World Sports

Goal: drive from San Diego to New York City as soon as possible.

Challenge: everything in between.

System: nothing.

The first person to accomplish the foregoing other than Edwin Baker “kanonbal”. He completed his notorious police in 1914, half a century by the “system of interstate highways”, on a motorcycle in 11 days. The journey of his life path, which earned him his intention, waoistrok nation.

The story begins two years earlier in Indianapolis, where mechanical Baker worked and got involved with some bikes first mechanism. Approached that co-founder motorcycle Indian manufacturing company, George Hind, one of two models for his company, seven horsepower touring demonstration through Central America and Cuba. After 14,000 miles, and three months later, Baker finished in Panama and aboard the steamer up to San Diego.

Rather than return to Indianapolis from San Diego, manages Baker and stayed around for quite some time, and competed in several endurance in Arizona and California during this time. The preparation of all what was to be the coolest race of his life. In 1914, after careful preparation and iron, Baker download stock pure motorcycle twin v India and provided in several countries race against time.

Treacherous weather, facing rabid dogs, flat tires, terrain looks aunbasabel (once spent all day trying to find a suitable place to cross the river!)And still complete riding his epic. Arrival in “Big Apple”, newspaper reporters swarmed to ask questions and one reporter has compared with train kanonbal Express railway “Central Illinois”. The name stuck. Baker “kanonbal” will continue to set records driving 143 of 1910s through the 1930s, driving motorcycles not only but vehicles as diverse as “model t” and two tonnes fully loaded truck and bicycle Cadillac 8. “There is no record, no money” that the sponsors. Time limited train raced for the 21st century in a race from New York to Chicago, and won.

Contribution Baker to historic motorcycle racing extends far and wide; and was an inspiration to the legendary series now from “kanonbal times” in the 1970s (born many movies and TV shows), later became the first Commissioner in NASCAR, and was inducted in the Hall of Fame motorcycle “in 1998.